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In this Jan. 8, 2013, photo, Mormon missionaries Mikaela Merrill, 19, center, and Harrison Surdu, right, practice their Mandarin Chinese during class at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. The Mormon churchís recent decision to lower the minimum age for missionaries has been greeted with† enthusiasm from many young members of the LDS church -- but especially young women. About half of all new applications to go on missions since the announcement have been from women, the church says. Prior to that, only 15 percent of missionaries were women. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

In this Jan. 8, 2013, photo, Mormon missionaries Mikaela Merrill, 19, center, and Harrison Surdu, right, practice their Mandarin Chinese during class at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. The Mormon churchís recent decision to lower the minimum age for missionaries has been greeted with† enthusiasm from many young members of the LDS church -- but especially young women. About half of all new applications to go on missions since the announcement have been from women, the church says. Prior to that, only 15 percent of missionaries were women. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)